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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. branch — a division
  3. row — to paddle
  4. current — electric
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — music
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. chair — a leader
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a tool
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. current — of water
  16. rock — a stone
  17. row — a line
  18. fall — the season
  19. can — to be able to
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. fall — to drop
  22. can — a tin
  23. fall — to drop
  24. can — a tin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com